Heat from the Earth will power London’s buildings

New plans will see heat from the Earth used to heat buildings in London. 

The £4m project which is led by E.ON will see the UK’s largest heating and cooling system installed at E.ON’s Citigen energy centre in central London.

The heat pump will draw heat from the natural warmth of the earth and will use waste heat from power generation.

This energy can then be stored in three boreholes that extend 200 metres below the earth and can be used for zero-carbon heating and cooling.

According to E.ON the technology will cut the carbon emissions associated with heating and cooling by up to 50% and will improve local air pollution by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions.

The 4MW of extra heating capacity is equivalent to the demand of 2,300 average UK homes. This is complemented with a 2.8MW cooling capacity.

Michael Lewis, E.ON UK CEO, said: ‘Tackling the environmental impact of heating, especially in densely populated areas, will be key to meeting the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets.

‘Part of that challenge means re-imagining how energy is provided to homes, businesses and cities. In taking the next step and installing a heat pump and geothermal technology at Citigen we’re making a powerful statement of what can be done to reduce carbon usage on a large scale.

‘The Citigen building itself has a long and storied history, and our £4m investment in a zero-carbon heating and cooling system gives it an exciting new chapter and makes sure it’s fit to support the capital’s cleaner future.’

Energy Minister Lord Callanan, added: ‘Heating in buildings forms a significant part of the UK’s carbon footprint, so changing how we warm and cool our homes and workspaces is a vital part of eradicating our contribution to climate change by 2050.

‘Heat networks offer an effective way of reducing carbon emissions while bringing down costs to consumers. E.ON’s project is a commercial vote of confidence in heat networks and heat pumps, meaning homes and businesses across the City of London will benefit from clean heat and is another great example of how the pace of rolling out cutting-edge low-carbon technologies is being accelerated across the UK.’

Photo by Mette Køstner